All posts tagged SEVEN IMPALE

“City of the Sun”, the debut full-length album from Norwegian Prog Rockers SEVEN IMPALE is now also available on vinyl courtesy of Karisma Records, who also released the album in CD format earlier this month. Recorded and produced at the Solslottet and Duper Studio by Iver Sandøy, known for his work with bands such as ENSLAVED and KRAKOW, “City of the Sun” has been earning this young band much critical acclaim.

The album itself is clearly rooted in early Classic Progressive Rock, but its five musically complex tracks reflect the variety of musical disciplines and influences the band’s six musicians bring to the mix, giving each track a distinct identity of its own. Classical orchestra and big band, metal and jazz, rock and electronica all blend together to give SEVEN IMPALE a sound that lifts the band up from the mundane and formulaic that all too often pervades the genre today.

Formed in Bergen, Norway, in 2010, SEVEN IMPALE’s lineup consists of Stian Økland on vocals and guitars, Fredrik Mekki Widerøe on drums, Benjamin Mekki Widerøe on sax, Tormod Fosso on bass, Erlend Vottvik Olsen on guitar and Håkon Vinje on keyboards. More information about SEVEN IMPALE can be found on the band’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale

Karisma Records have debuted “Oh, My Gravity!” the opening track from “City of the Sun”, the debut full-length album from Norwegian Prog Rockers SEVEN IMPALE. The album itself, which was recorded and produced at the Solslottet and Duper Studio by Iver Sandøy, who has produced bands such as ENSLAVED, KRAKOW, etc., is due for release in September of this year, and “Oh, My Gravity!” can be heard below:

With a relatively young lineup SEVEN IMPALE consists of Stian Økland on vocals and guitars, Fredrik Mekki Widerøe on drums, Benjamin Mekki Widerøe on sax, Tormod Fosso on bass, Erlend Vottvik Olsen on guitar and Håkon Vinje on keyboards, and was formed in Bergen, Norway in 2010.

Whilst the prevailing influence throughout “City Of The Sun” clearly lies within the Classic Progressive Rock genre, SEVEN IMPALE’s music actually transcends several genres fearlessly and with deceptive ease. The five musically complex tracks that form the album are each distinctly different, something that only a lineup of musicians from a variety of disciplines as diverse as classical orchestra and big band, metal and jazz, and rock and electronica, could hope to create.

With a critically acclaimed Digital EP released by the band last year as a taster of things to come, Karisma Records has set a release date of September 2014 for SEVEN IMPALE‘s debut full-length album “City Of The Sun”.

Recorded and produced by Iver Sandøy (ENSLAVED, KRAKOW, etc.) at the Solslottet and Duper Studio, “City Of The Sun” consists of five musically complex tracks, each distinctly different one from the other, and transcending several genres with their range and variety, but whose roots clearly lie within Classic Progressive Rock.

Formed in Bergen, Norway in 2010, SEVEN IMPALE’s relatively young lineup consists of Stian Økland on vocals and guitars, Fredrik Mekki Widerøe on drums, Benjamin Mekki Widerøe on sax, Tormod Fosso on bass, Erlend Vottvik Olsen on guitar and Håkon Vinje on keyboards. What sets the band apart from many of the new arrivals on the scene is the sheer diversity of musical disciplines that the members bring with them. From classical orchestra to big band, metal to jazz and rock to electronic, SEVEN IMPALE have fused all their experience and influences and created a sound that is uniquely theirs. Their appearance over the past year at festivals as diverse as the Oslo Jazz Festival and Inferno Festival, and the positive reaction of such different audiences, is a tribute to how successful their sound is.

Utilising elements normally found in the Metal genre “City Of The Sun” shows just how unafraid SEVEN IMPALE are to explore much harder soundscapes than one would normally expect from Progressive Rock, whilst the use of the saxophone, enables the band to showcase jazz elements in their music. There is no doubt at all that SEVEN IMPALE challenge the standard genre boundaries, in much the same way that Norwegian SHINING and JAGA JAZZIST have done before.

DARK ESSENCE RECORDS plans to make their annual Inferno Festival event a little different this year when they join forces with sister label KARISMA RECORDS to showcase two of their bands each at Blå on Wednesday 16th April. “We are always conscious of the fact that while many of Dark Essence’s artists such as TAAKE tour frequently, and fans in Europe have a good chance of seeing them live, the Karisma artists tend to tour much less, so we thought that this year we would open up the event to give their fans a chance to see some of them, and introduce them to Dark Essence’s fans at the same time”, commented the label’s Martin Kvam.

SLEGEST – Photo by Ørjan Talle and Håvard Nesbø

Representing Dark Essence will be two bands whose recent releases have been getting rave reviews from press and fans alike. First up will be SLEGEST, the new project from former VREID guitarist Ese, who has skilfully blended classic heavy rock and old-school black metal to produce a sound that is both dark and sinister, and with an unmistakably down and dirty catchy groove that weaves its way through the music. Originally started as a one-man project, once the debut full-length album “Løyndom” was released at the end of 2013, it quickly became clear that the demand from fans to see SLEGEST perform live was such that Ese was persuaded to form a fully functioning band. More information about SLEGEST can be found at https://www.facebook.com/slegest

The official video for the track “Ho Som Haustar Aleine” from SLEGEST’s “Løyndom” can be seen below:

ALFAHANNE

Joining them will be Sweden’s ALFAHANNE, whose lineup includes members of bands such as VINTERLAND and early MAZE OF TORMENT, and who have come together to play what they themselves have called ”Alfapocalyptic Rock”, a fascinating and hard-hitting mix of Black Metal, Classic Rock and Punk with some Goth influences . Their high-energy live performances have garnered them much praise. Making a guest appearance on stage with ALFAHANNE, will be HELHEIM‘s V’gandr who performed vocals on one of the tracks from the band’s new album “Alfapokalyps” . It is a tribute to ALFAHANNE that they were able to attract not only V’gandr to make a guest appearance on the album, but also Dark Essence label-mates Hoest from TAAKE and Niklas Kvarforth from SHINING. More information about ALFAHANNE can be found at https://www.facebook.com/alfahanneofficial

The track “Såld På Mörkret” from ALFAHANNE’s album ”Alfapocalyptic Rock” and which features TAAKE’s Hoest on guest vocals can be heard here:

AIRBAG

Making an appearance for Karisma will be two bands, representing the new and the established. Lovers of Prog Rock cannot fail to recognise the name of AIRBAG, a band known the world-over for an exquisite musical craftsmanship that enables its musicians to create a sonic experience ranging from massive walls of sound, to ambient textures and soulful soundscapes, both in the studio and on stage. The release of AIRBAG’s third full-length album “The Greatest Show on Earth” at the end of last year confirmed the band’s status in the world of prog, earning them many accolades. Inferno will be one of the very few chancesthat to catch this incredible band live this year so it is an opportunity that should not be missed. One for fans of ANATHEMA. More information about AIRBAG can be found at http://www.airbagsound.com/

The title track from AIRBAG’s album “The Greatest Show on Earth” can be heard here:

SEVEN IMPALE

The second of the Karisma bands is one of their latest signings, SEVEN IMPALE. The release of the digital EP “Beginning/Relieve” last year gave an indication of the multi-faceted nature of these young musicians. With its member drawn from a range of disciplines including classical orchestra, big band, metal, jazz, rock and electronic music, their sound ranges from progressive and jazzy to the softer and more melodic to the harder and edgier. They bring a freshness and enthusiasm to their live performances, and it is anticipated that their debut full-length album later this year will more than meet expectations, setting them apart from many other new arrivals on the scene. If you are a fan of Norway’s SHINING, SEVEN IMPALE is definitely a band you will want to check out. More information about SEVEN IMPALE can be found at https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale

The title track from SEVEN IMPALE’s “Beginning/Relieve” EP can be heard below:

Scheduled performances for the Dark Essence Records / Karisma Records artists at Inferno Festival, which will take place at Blå, Brennereiven 9C, Oslo, Norway, on Wednesday 16th April as follows:

Patricia Thomas Management has issued that “Beginning/Relieve”, the first release on Karisma Records from the label’s latest signing SEVEN IMPALE, is set to appear world-wide on the 5th April. The five-track EP will be released digitally, and serves as an appetiser for SEVEN IMPALE’s debut full-length album, which the band will shortly begin recording at the Duper Studios in Bergen. Iver Sandøy, who produced KRAKOW’s “diin” and co-produced ENSLAVED’s “Riitiir”, will be at the helm. The title track from “Beginning/Relieve” was recently debuted on Karisma Record’s SoundCloud page and can be heard below

Formed in Bergen, Norway in 2010, SEVEN IMPALE’s relatively young lineup consists of Stian Økland on vocals and guitars, Fredrik Mekki Widerøe on drums, Benjamin Mekki Widerøe on sax, Tormod Fosso on bass, Erlend Vottvik Olsen on guitar and Håkon Vinje on keyboards. What sets the band apart from many of the new arrivals on the scene is the diversity of musical disciplines that the members bring with them. From classical orchestra to big band, metal to jazz and rock to electronic, SEVEN IMPALE have fused all their experience and influences and created a sound that is uniquely theirs. From the hard-hitting “Blind To All” to the progressive and jazzy “What Am I Sane For?” and the softer “Measure 15″, “Beginning/Relieve” shows some of the many sides of the band and is the perfect introduction for the great things fans can expect from them.

Patricia Thomas Management has issued that the Norway’s KARISMA RECORDS have announced the signing of the Prog Rock band SEVEN IMPALE. The first release from the band will be a five-track digital EP entitled “Beginning/Relieve” which will appear in February 2013. The title track from “Beginning/Relieve” has been debuted on the label’s SoundCloud page and can be heard below.

SEVEN IMPALE was formed in Bergen, Norway, in 2010 and the six-man, relatively young lineup consists of Stian Økland on vocals and guitars, Fredrik Mekki Widerøe on drums, Benjamin Mekki Widerøe on sax, Tormod Fosso on bass, Erlend Vottvik Olsen on guitar and Håkon Vinje on keyboards. With all the members coming from a range of disciplines including classical orchestra, big band, metal, jazz, rock and electronic music, recording the EP has been a long process for the band, as they have sought to combine all their experiences and influences and refine them into a unique, mesmerizing and exciting sound.
SEVEN IMPALE will enter the Duper Studio in Bergen in early 2013 to begin recording their debut full-length album with Iver Sandøy who produced KRAKOW’s “diin” and co-produced ENSLAVED’s “Riitiir”. More information about the band can be found at https://www.facebook.com/sevenimpale